Budget Briefs

Budget Briefs


Glossary for the Federal Budget
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Federal Budget Timeline

How and when do we get a federal budget?
 
The annual budget process, or appropriations process, mainly concerns only one-third of the

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On Budget, Off Budget Federal Spending

Why is Social Security "off-budget," and what does that mean?
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Federal Funds and Trust Funds

What are these two types of federal budget funds?

The federal budget consists of two major groups of funds:
trust funds and federal funds. "Trust funds" are designated as such by

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Federal Revenues

Where does the federal government get its money?

Total federal revenues for fiscal year 2005 amounted to $2 trillion. The largest portion, 44%, was from individual income taxes.

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Federal Deficit, Surplus, and National Debt

Do they matter?

With a national debt of about $8 trillion, it is clear why this issue has assumed such political and economic significance.

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Federal Spending

How are our tax dollars spent?

Federal spending is more than $2 trillion a year and makes up more than half of total government spending in the United States.

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Federal Discretionary and Mandatory Spending

What's the difference between discretionary and mandatory spending?
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